Transarterial embolization ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma with a lipiodol-ethanol mixture

Figure 1 A newly diagnosed patient with single-nodule treated by transarterial embolization ablation. A: An enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan of hepatocellular carcinoma tumor before treatment. The tumor measured 3.5 cm × 3.3 cm (arrows); B: Hepatic artery angiography showed the thick blood vessels of the tumor (arrowheads) and the abnormal vascular group (arrows) before treatment; C: Superselective angiography clearly showed tumor staining (arrows); D: After transarterial embolization ablation with an lipiodol-ethanol mixture, lipiodol accumulated in the tumor (arrows); E: An enhanced CT scan 2 mo after treatment showed dense deposition of lipiodol in the tumor without enhancement (arrows); F: Hepatic artery angiography showed the absence of tumor blood vessels and tumor staining at 2 mo after treatment (arrows).

Figure 2 A patient with refractory tumors treated by transarterial embolization ablation. A: Limited lipiodol accumulation in a patient with a diffuse hepatocellular carcinoma tumor after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) (arrows); B: After a second treatment with TACE, the tumor had progressed and showed less lipiodol accumulation (arrows); C: Hepatic artery angiography showed that tumor staining was not obvious. According to computed tomography images before transarterial embolization ablation (TEA), lipiodol-ethanol mixture was injected through the left and right hepatic arteries; D: Two months after TEA, the tumor had shrunk and lipiodol accumulation had increased (arrows).